A bus transporting Ukrainian nationals, including adults and children, overturned on the A81 motorway near Degré, in France’s Sarthe department, on Friday around noon. According to local and international authorities, the accident claimed the lives of four passengers and left eleven others seriously injured, while over thirty additional passengers sustained minor injuries.
The coach toppled into a roadside ditch near the Le Mans–Rennes segment of the highway. Emergency services from the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service responded promptly, dispatching approximately 87 firefighters and 49 vehicles to the scene to assist with rescue and evacuation efforts. Authorities temporarily closed the motorway in both directions to facilitate medical treatment and recovery operations.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Paris, led by Ambassador Vadym Omelchenko, confirmed the presence of Ukrainian citizens aboard the bus and said officials had arrived at the crash site to provide support and consular assistance. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has ordered its consular services to monitor the situation closely and ensure all necessary help is extended to the victims.
Preliminary details from BFMTV, a French news outlet, indicate that passengers included both teens and adults, traveling together when the bus veered off the road. The exact cause of the accident remains unclear, with official investigations reportedly underway.
